Neptun Werft Delivers First of New Series of River Cruise Ships to Viking
After a pause in new river cruise ship construction, Viking is embarking on the next phase of growth for its European river cruise operations which parallels the ongoing expansion in ocean cruising. By 2028, Viking expects to take delivery on 25 additional river cruise ships, and by 2030 nine additional ocean cruise ships. With these orders, Viking will have 109 river ships in 2028 and 21 ocean and expedition cruise ships in 2030.
The first of the new deliveries was completed on March 18 at the Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock in the Warnemünde region of Germany. It is number 66 in the “Longship” series built by the yard for the company using a patented river cruise ship design. The partnership between Viking and Neptun Werft built the luxury river cruise ships for more than a decade marking the completion of the first series in 2021. Two river ships were delivered in March 2021 and one more in February 2023.
Recovering from the pandemic, Viking placed its first order for a new river cruise ship with Neptun Werft in February 2023 and that is the ship that was delivered yesterday. It is part of a “shortened Longship” specifically designed for navigation on France’s Seine. It measures 125 meters (410 feet) making it possible for the vessel to dock in the center of Paris. Named, Viking Nerthis, it has 86 passenger cabins accommodating 168 passengers.
"With this delivery, we can continue our extraordinarily successful partnership with Viking. For Neptun Werft, each new ship means further employment in the core business of river cruise ships. With the new orders from the beginning of the year, we are fully utilized until 2028," says Stephan Schmees, CEO of Neptun Werft.
At the end of 2023, Viking expanded its cruise ship orders with Neptun Werft for a total of nine river cruise ships, one additional for the Seine plus eight of the Longship series. The larger vessels are 135 meters (443 feet) long and accommodate 190 passengers.
One ship from the Seine series and four of the Longships will be delivered in 2025 and another set in 2026. Viking also added another eight ships to the order in January 2025. Those are scheduled for delivery in 2027 and 2028.
Neptun Werft had previously built four river cruise ships, Viking Kari, Viking Radgrid, Viking Skaga, and Viking Fjorgyn, in the Seine class. All the newer ships are being equipped with a hybrid system consisting of a diesel-electric drive, a battery system, and exhaust gas after-treatment. This will absorb peak loads and save a considerable amount of fuel. The ships will also be equipped with a number of technical innovations, such as a compact system for wastewater treatment as well as connections for shore power. Onboard, they have solar panels to further contribute to the ships’ energy efficiency.
Founded in 1997 by Torstein Hagen, Viking is one of the pioneers in the modern river cruise industry. It operates river cruises in Europe, Asia, and Egypt and has one ship on the Mississippi in the United States.